Students’ stories in play honoring MLK Day featured at theatre company

An upcoming play weaves history with the present while exploring the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

Penn State Harrisburg School of the Humanities and Harrisburg-based Sankofa African American Theatre Company are teaming up to present an original play on Jan. 25, in celebration of MLK Day earlier that week.

“Call of the Crusades,” written by Sankofa co-founder and president Sharia Benn, tells the story of nine Penn State students who discover the MLK memorial on the Capital Area Greenbelt trail in Harrisburg. There, they learn about King’s crusades and the civil rights movement, while discussing their own diverse stories.

According to Benn, the play introduced to the students and will share with the audience King’s less recognized speeches and writings.

“I wanted to highlight some of the works of Dr. King that were lesser known,” Benn said. “It was a good exploration for everybody involved.”

Penn State Harrisburg has presented an MLK Day play for the past 35 years, but was in search of a new community partner this year and looked to Sankofa.

Dr. Maria Enriquez, associate teaching professor of theatre at Penn State and the play’s co-director, said that this is the first year that the entire cast is made up of students. What makes it even more unique is that the students are from a range of majors and cultural backgrounds, with some being international students. According to the directors, students got to see the widespread and international impact of King’s work.

Each student incorporated some of their own reflections and writings into the play, as well.

“We really wanted it to be explored that the words that MLK was speaking, they resonate today,” Enriquez said.

The play will take place at the Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre at Penn State Harrisburg and is free to the public, but tickets must be reserved.

“I’m excited that the audience will get to hear how these young people feel and what they think,” Benn said.

For more information about the play and to reserve tickets, click here.

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